Case in point: An article recently appeared on a local news site with a headline&#0160;stating the requirement will &quot;dampen building.&quot; Only a sentence was devoted to sprinkler advocates, including NFPA, who support the statewide sprinkler requirement. The rest of the story focused on builders balking at the requirement, stating that it will &quot;unnecessarily add to the housing market&#39;s&#0160;woes.&quot;

The state fire marshal disagrees. In an op-ed Brian Geraci penned earlier this year, he places the average cost to sprinkler a new home in Maryland at $1 to $2 per sprinklered&#0160;square foot.&#0160;